1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to isothiocyanate functional surfactants, formulations incorporating isothiocyanate functional surfactants, and associated methods of use—including, but not limited to, chemopreventive, chemotherapeutic and/or chemoprotective applications.
2. Background Art
Natural, semi-synthetic, and/or synthetic compounds having one or more isothiocyanate functional groups and their associated uses have been known in the art for years and are the subject of a plurality of patents and publications, including, but not limited to: U.S. Pat. No. 8,772,251 entitled “Use Of Isothiocyanate Derivatives As Anti-Myeloma Agents,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,770 entitled “Cancer Chemoprotective Food Products,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,441 entitled “Treatment Of Helicobacter With Isothiocyanates,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,784 entitled “Method For Selective Increase Of The Anticarcinogenic Glucosinolates In Brassica Oleracea,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,003 entitled “Heterocyclic Compounds For Cancer Chemoprevention,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,986 entitled “Chemoprotective Isothiocyanates,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,969 entitled “Method Of Inhibiting Lung Tumors, Arylalkyl Isothiocyanates, And Method Of Synthesizing Same,” United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0116203 entitled “Isothiocyanates And Glucosinolate Compounds And Anti-Tumor Compositions Containing Same,” United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0081138 entitled “Cancer Chemoprotective Compositions And Natural Oils And Methods For Making Same,” and United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0127996 entitled “Method Of Extraction Of Isothiocyanates Into Oil From Glucosinolate-Containing Plants And Method Of Producing Products With Oil Containing Isothiocyanates Extracted From Glucosinolate-Containing Plants,” all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety—including all references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,772,251 appears to disclose the use of glucomoringin (GMG) and its des-thio-glucoside (GMG-ITC) for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of myeloma. The chemical structures of GMG and GMG-ITC are provided below:

U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,770 appears to disclose vegetable sources that serve as chemoprotective agents. The chemoprotective agents disclosed are rich in glucosinolate (i.e., metabolic precursors to isothiocyanates). The vegetable sources are used to provide a dietary means of reducing the level of carcinogens in mammals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,737,441 appears to disclose methods of preventing or inhibiting the growth of helicobacter pylori through the use of a composition that comprises a glucosinolate, an isothiocyanate or a derivative or metabolite thereof. The '441 patent also appears to disclose methods of preventing or treating persistent chronic gastritis, ulcers and/or stomach cancer in subjects at risk for, or in need of treatment thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,784 appears to disclose a method for producing Brassica oleracea with elevated anticarcinogenic glucosinolate derivatives. The elevated levels are obtained by crossing wild Brassica oleracea species with brassica oleracea breeding lines, and subsequently selecting hybrids with levels of 4-methylsulfinylbutyl and/or 3-methylsulfinylpropyl glucosinolates elevated above that initially found in brassica oleracea breeding lines. The invention also relates to edible brassica plants, such as broccoli plants, with elevated levels of 4-methylsulfinylbutyl glucosinolate and/or 3-methylsulfinylpropyl glucosinolates, and to seeds of such plants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,003 appears to disclose a compound comprising a heterocyclic moiety, such as a thiophene, covalently attached to an alkylene isothiocyanate moiety. The compound is reportedly effective to prevent the occurrence or progression of cancer or a precancerous condition, and can be used for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes. The compound can be provided and administered in the form of a pharmaceutical composition, a cosmetic, a food additive, supplement, or the like. The '003 patent also discloses methods for synthesis and use of the chemopreventive compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,986 appears to disclose that sulforaphane has been isolated and identified as a major and very potent phase II enzyme inducer in broccoli (brassica oleracea italica). Sulforaphane is disclosed as a mono-functional inducer, inducing phase II enzymes selectively without the induction of aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent cytochromes P-450 (phase I enzymes). The '986 patent discloses synthesizing analogues differing in the oxidation state of sulfur and the number of methylene groups, wherein their inducer potencies were measured. Sulforaphane was identified as the most potent of these analogues. Other analogues having different substituent groups in place of the methylsulfinyl group of sulforaphane were also synthesized and assessed. Of these, the most potent were 6-isothiocyanato-2-hexanone and exo-2-acetyl-6-isothiocyanatonorbornane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,969 appears to disclose a method of inhibiting lung tumor multiplicity and/or incidence by treating mammals with relatively long chain arylalkyl isothiocyanates, especially effective with respect to tumors induced by exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamine. Among the isothiocyanates disclosed are 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate, phenylpentyl isothiocyanate and phenylhexyl isothiocyanate, which are synthesized by adding hydrochloride of phenylbutylamine, phenylpentylamine, or phenylhexylamine in water to thiophosgene in an inert organic solvent.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0116203 appears to disclose glucosinolate and isothiocyanate compounds and related methods for synthesizing these compounds and analogs. In certain embodiments, these glucosinolate and isothiocyanate compounds are useful and chemopreventive and or chemotherapeutic agents. Examples include compounds of Formula I: R—N═C═S (I) wherein R is selected from the group consisting of dimethylpropyl, C3-C10 mono- or bicycloalkyl, C6-C10 mono- or bicycloakenyl, halobenzyl, alkyloxybenzyl, tetrahydronaphthalenyl, biphenyl-C1-C6-alkyl, phenoxybenzyl-C1-C6-alkyl, and pyridinyl-C1-C6-alkyl; N-acetyl cysteine conjugates thereof; and salts thereof.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0081138 appears to disclose chemoprotective compositions containing reduced oil-content extraction meals made from plants containing natural oils and glucosinolates. The oil content of the extraction meals may be reduced using batchwise or continuous supercritical fluid extractions. Also provided are glucosinolate-rich compositions containing purified glucosinolates isolated from plant materials. The glucosinolate-rich compositions may be made by reducing the oil content of a plant materials containing natural oils and glucosinolates and isolating the glucosinolates from the reduced oil-content plant materials using a membrane extraction. Natural oils containing isothiocyanates are also provided.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0127996 appears to disclose a method of extraction of isothiocyanates into oil from glucosinolate-containing plants and method of producing products with oil containing isothiocyanates extracted from glucosinolate-containing plants.
While the above-identified patents and publications do appear to disclose natural, semi-synthetic, and/or synthetic compounds having one or more isothiocyanate functional groups associated with a plurality of applications and/or uses, none of the above-identified patents and/or publications disclose isothiocyanate functional surfactants derived from natural and/or non-natural amino acids, including, but not limited to, L-lysine, L-ornithine, etcetera.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide novel isothiocyanate functional surfactants that will partially and/or fully remedy problems and/or complications associated with non-surfactant derived isothiocyanate functional compounds. It is therefore an additional object of the present invention to provide novel formulations incorporating isothiocyanate functional surfactants, and associated novel methods of use.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, chemical structures, chemical formulae, and drawings.